


Homecoming

by DearLazerBunny



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Homecoming Dance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 22:34:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17129969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DearLazerBunny/pseuds/DearLazerBunny
Summary: suggestion from the wonderful @molmcb who wanted a seasonal-appropriate homecoming fic! Let me know how you like it lovely, and thank you so so much for the suggestion!





	Homecoming

“I don’t know about this…”

“Oh come on, Y/N, stop being such a stick in the mud!” Rey is draped over your bed, lounging like the goddess she is, appraising your look from behind. “The dress looks great on you, and with a little hair and makeup, it’ll be perfect.”

“You really think so?” You tug on the hemline of the dress, feeling the tulle crunch beneath your fingers as you attempt to straighten it out. “I don’t even know how to do hair… or makeup…”

“Um, hello? What do you think I’m here for?” You glance at your friend in the mirror, whose perfect makeup and effortlessly messy hairstyle look amazing, even after a full day at school. “I’ll have you all dolled up in no time. And I have heels you can borrow.”

“Heels? I have to wear heels?”

“Ugh, Y/N, it’s homecoming! Fancy dress up time! Yes, you have to wear heels. Besides,” she says, her voice dropping into a dangerously casual tone, “if you don’t wear heels, you might not be tall enough to make out with Dameron…”

“Oh my god, Rey, shut up!” Your cheeks immediately flame red as you try to get that image out of your head. More and more you’re regretting telling Rey about your little- okay, more like ginormous- crush you have on Poe Dameron, only the cutest, most popular guy in school. Star quarterback, top of his class, and just an honestly sweet guy who- oh, gosh. You’re thinking about him again. Covering your face with your hands, you mumble, “Poe doesn’t even know I exist, Rey. Fat chance of anything ever happening there.”

“Hey, you never know.” Her eyes are sparkling. “Maybe he’ll see you in this dress and fall head over heels for you.”

You snort. You’re bookish, quiet, and not particularly stunning- the exact opposite of Dameron and everyone in his inner circle. Even Rey knows him by default, being on the cheerleading team. And while being friends with Rey does gain you some popularity points, that crowd always makes you uncomfortable. You’d much rather be at home writing a good story or finishing one of your dozens of unread books stuffed in every nook and cranny of your room. “If by some chance this dress has magic powers, I will take back everything bad I ever said about it.” You jokingly pat the bodice like you’re petting it, sending Rey into a fit of giggles.

“So what do you want to do with your hair?”

…

When the night arrives, you want to hop right out of the passenger seat of Rey’s four-door and run all the way home. Though you doubt you could run in the sky-high black heels Rey has lent you- you can barely walk in them, and you have no idea how you’re going to dance in them. You guess you’ll figure that out when you get there.

Rey picks you up in a gorgeous velvet floor length gown- she’s broken the tradition of short dresses only, but it works on her. You nervously pick at the hemline of your own dress, a fit-and-flare with a bit of tulle peeking out the hemline. When you picked it out, Rey said it was flirty and fun, and those all sounded like adjectives that you were going for, so what the hell. You bought it. And you have to admit, you do like the way it swishes softly around your thighs as you walk.

“Excited?” Rey is positively beaming, looking flawless as always. “You look amazing!”

“You think so?” You had followed her instructions to a T, applying makeup along your cheekbones and highlighting your eyebrows and doing god knows what to your eyelids, but you think it turned out pretty. Your hair is lightly curled and falling over your shoulder- at the very least, when you’re hiding in the corner, your hair can make a curtain over your face to hide your face.

“Oh shut up, you are not hiding in the corner! Not this year. I’m going to get you out on the dance floor if it kills me.” You laugh- had you said that out loud, or had she just read the expression on your face?

When you pull up to the venue, people are already streaming in the door, much to your delight. If you can just get lost in the crowd, you can probably waste the night away relatively unassuming. Of course, that’s hard to do with a literal goddess walking in by your side- Rey turns heads wherever she goes. She says hi and smiles to everyone as she glides in, a picture of poise and confidence, something you try to micmic as you feel you awkwardly trail her inside.

“Hey guys! God, don’t you look gorgeous.” Finn appears beside the two of you and pops a kiss onto Rey’s cheek, who bats him away affectionately.

“Stop, you’ll ruin the makeup!” She gives him air kisses instead and then slides her arm through his, tucking him close to her side. You make pretend gagging noises, making them both protest jokingly. You smile at them. They really are cute together, and you’re so happy your best friend has found such a sweet guy. But every time you see them being cute together (which is always…) you can’t help but look on a little forlornly. Will you ever find someone like that? Someone you want to hold close to your side?

“Are we dancing, or are we just standing here?” Finn grabs both of your hands and begins dragging you towards the floor, already crowded with dancing teens. “Come on, time to party!” Rey shrieks as she almost topples forward, but eventually regains her footing and looks back at you. “Y/N, you coming?”

“Um…” you pretend to consider it when really all the alarm bells are screaming in your head NO, NO, NO. “I think I’m going to go grab a drink.”

Rey sighs, but releases your other hand. “Fine, fine. But I’m coming and finding you later!”

You nod and let them head off together, and wander your way through the crowd to the refreshments. You graze the snacks and grab a cup of punch, then find a spot along the wall to observe the festivities. You’re content with just standing and watching, to be honest, but it seems like the night has other plans.

“Hey! Y/N, right?”

“Um, yeah…” you respond before turning around, and when you do, you almost run smack into none other than Poe Dameron himself. Immediately, your mouth runs dry. Surely he hadn’t been talking to you? But his smile conforms he was, and his grin turned your way makes you want to clap your hands over your quickly reddening cheeks. “Poe! Hi!”

“Oh, cool, you know who I am.” He leans against the wall on one shoulder in the classic cool-guy pose. It works for him. “I was afraid I’d have to introduce myself.”

Before you can think, you let out a snort. “Um, Poe Dameron, mr. quarterback, four-point-oh golden boy? Yeah, never heard of you.”

He throws back his head and laughs, causing his curls to fall over the collar of his shirt and jacket, which you can’t help but notice look absolutely gorgeous on him. “Damn, you got my baseball card or something?”

“Uh, no.”  _Shit, he thinks you’re weird now. Crap. You already screwed it up._  “I just, I’ve heard a lot about you from Rey-”

“Right, you’re friends with Rey! I knew I recognized you from somewhere.”

You nod. “I come to the games a lot to cheer her on.”

“What, not me?” He gives you a crooked smile that makes you want to melt right into your shoes.

“I’m sure you’ve got plenty of adoring fans cheering you on, Dameron,” you say boldly. “Little me isn’t going to make much of a difference.”

“Perish the thought! Everyone counts. And I’m positive I’d recognize you if you were cheering in the stands.” He gives you a wink that makes you want to die.

You don’t know what to say after that, so you turn your attention back to the revelers, and Poe does the same. It should be awkward, but it’s not- it’s a comfortable sort of silence, which is weird, considering you barely know each other. But for some strange reason you’re comfortable around him, which is not something you thought you’d say in a million years.

“Have you danced yet?” He has this eager, almost puppy dog look on his face.

“Um, no, but I’m not really one for dancing…”

  
“Oh, come on, you can’t be that bad! And I guarantee you you can’t be any worse than me.” He holds out a hand casually, and it takes you forever and a day to realize he means for you to take it. Heart in your throat, you do so, and before you can blink he’s whisked you into the dance floor. You’re surrounded by people, most of them sweaty and a little drunk from illicit alcohol. Normally you’d be petrified, but with Poe there, you somehow feel safe.

He must have seen the brief look of panic on your face however, because he smiles and doesn’t let go of your hand. “Ignore them. Just keep your eyes on me.”

Swoon. You do so, taking in his face and his amazing hair and the suit he’s wearing in more detail than you ever thought you’d get the chance to do. “You look amazing,” you say without thinking, and immediately you can feel your cheeks begin to burn.

But he just smiles and does a joking little twirl for you, which makes you laugh. “Why thank you. And you,” he says, leaning in towards your ear so you can hear him, “look absolutely stunning.”

Poe Dameron thinks you look stunning? Holy hell, this dress really must be magic. You send a silent thank you up to what’re deity might be up there and give a little curtsy. “Why thank you.”

“Come on, do a twirl for me.”

“Stop it, I’m not five,” you giggle. You’re hyper-aware that he hasn’t let go of your hand.

“I just want to see how gorgeous you look, is that a crime?”

Reluctantly, you do a little spin, much to the delight of Poe, who whistles and hoots. You actually smile, feeling the skirt swish around you, when all of a sudden a thought hits you- is Poe Dameron- the Poe Dameron- flirting with you? Honest to god?

Just as those thoughts are racing through your head, the music suddenly switches into a low, sonorous waltz. People begin to pair off and those who don’t have a partner wander off the floor in search of something else to do. You stand frozen, deer-in-the-headlights looking at Poe. “Oh, dang. Couples dance. I guess I’ll just-”

“Oh no, you’re not going anywhere.” In one swift movement, he’s swiftly pulled you to him at the waist, close enough that you can smell his cologne and some unidentifiable scent that must be uniquely him. Okay, stop thinking like such a creep.

“Or we could do this,” you murmur as your hands slide up around his neck. Swaying back and forth, your mind is racing a million miles a minute. You’re slow dancing with Poe Dameron. You’re SLOW DANCING with POE DAMERON.

Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Rey and Finn coupled up, her head resting on his shoulder. Opening her eyes, she immediately sees the two of you, and you think her eyes will drop out of her skull with how wide they grow.  _Oh my god,_  she mouths to you, and you silently whisper back  _I know..!_

“Why are you dancing with me?” The words suddenly pop out of your mouth, but they’re honest. Why is he dancing with you? “You barely know me, and I could’ve sworn an hour ago you wouldn’t have even known who I was.”

“Ridiculous. Your name is Y/N Y/L/N, you’re best friends with Rey and Finn, you’re in the creative writing club and you also help out in the school library when you can.”

You’re speechless. “You got my baseball card or something?”

He laughs at his words being said back to his face. “No, but I tend to notice things about a pretty girl. Sue me.”

You blush at the compliment, and the two of you continue to dance in silence, just enjoying the music and each other. It’s… nice. More than nice, really. You want to lay your head on his shoulder and never let go. But as the song ends, you reluctantly loosen your grip, and he does the same. “Th-thank you. For the dances,” you stammer out.

“Anytime. I mean it.” He gives you another wink and saunters off to some friends who are calling him from the right side of the venue.

Oh my god, Rey was going to DIE when she heard about this.

…

“Rey? Damnit where are you?” You’re wandering the muted hallways of the high school trying to find your friend after fruitlessly searching the dance floor for her. Finn have you a tip she headed off into the school, so you’re stuck clomping through the stairwells trying to find her…

“Hey, I just wanted to thank you. You really made her night.”

“Like I said, I’m happy to do it.”

Wait, is that… Rey? And Poe?

“I know, but still. You’re sure I can’t make it up to you.”

“Rey, it’s not like it was a chore. I like Y/N. I actually…”

“Make it up to him?” You round the corner without thinking, revealing the pair standing close together, whispering. “Make what up to him? Me? Dancing with me? This was all…” you close your eyes, humiliation sweeping through you like a bullet. “This was all a set up.”

Rey’s eyes widen. “No, Y/N, that’s not-”

  
“What? That’s not it? You’re not trying to pay him off for talking to me?” Tears well in your eyes, and you turn to Poe, who’s standing there looking dumbstruck. His words echo in your head. Stunning…. “Did you even mean anything you said?”

“Y/N-”

“No, no, I-” you wipe a tear away roughly. “I’m done.”

It’s raining, appropriately, when you finally find yourself at the entrance of the school. Undeterred, you walk home anyways, willing the water to wash away any and all memory of this night.

…

At home, you’ve showered the product out of your hair and wiped all your mascara off. The dress you once thought was magical is discarded in the corner, never to be looked at again. You just can’t believe people you thought were your friends would do something like this…

_Clank_.

Something hits the pane of your window.

_Clank_.

And again.

Finally, you open the curtains to see what the matter is. Poe is standing there in the front of your yard, letterman’s jacket over his tux. It’s still misting outside, so his curls are damp over his collar, but he seems perfectly happy standing there in the rain, throwing pebbles at your window like you’re in some kind of rom com.

“What the hell are you doing?

“Come down here and talk.”

You scoff. “Why would I want to talk to you? So you can whisper some more fake sweet nothings in my ear?”

“Because I have to explain myself. Please?”

The expression on his face is what drags you down the stairs and through the front door, hopping from one foot to the other in your socks on the wet grass. “What do you want, Poe?”

“I have to explain-”

“What, that you take bribes from best friends to dance with nobodies at homecoming? You know, I used to think you were nice. And then this incredible person I’ve had a crush on for a year turns out to be nothing but scum.”

His cheeks turn a little pink, though you can’t see it in the moonlight. “You’ve had a crush on me?”

Damnit. “Keyword, had.”

He spreads his hands. “If you want me to go, I’ll go.”

“I think that would be wise.”

But just as he turns to leave, he stops. “I didn’t take her offer, you know.”

“You what?”

“Rey came up to me a few weeks ago and asked if I’d give you a dance. Talk to you a bit. Nothing special. And I turned her down. Because I wanted to be the one to do it. The truth is…” he gulps. “I’ve kinda had a crush on you too. For a while now. So for her to want me to talk to you was the perfect excuse to do so. I was afraid I’d chicken out if I said no…” he laughs awkwardly, his hand to his neck. “I meant everything I said tonight. And more that I didn’t get to say.”

You’re speechless. “You meant that?”

He laughs. “I think you’re stunning any day of the week, but yeah. I did. I do. And I hope… I came here hoping maybe you’d give me a second chance. A real date,” he continues. “And rest assured it’s all my idea. No one else involved.”

“Why in the world would you ever want to go out with me?”

“Because you’re kind. You’re smart, and funny. You’re shy, but when you start talking it’s like you could talk about the world and still be fascinated. You’re so different from everyone I know and I like that about you. Please,” he begs, “I made a mistake. But don’t let us quit before we even start.”

“Us? You want an us?”

He looks up at the sky. “Yeah. I do. Do you?”

Without thinking, you stand up on your tiptoes and press a light kiss to his lips. You can feel him smile as you pull away, shocked at your own boldness.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

 


End file.
